Charles F. Weigle House Museum
1989 Lakeview Drive
Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
or by appointment
except on major holidays
(863) 658-5642
A 1920s Mediterranean-style Florida bungalow
"Saved from destruction, and the battle continues."
Charles F. Weigle was born in Lafayette, IN, in 1871. Following studies at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he began a career as a full-time evangelist and song-writer, moving his home-base from California to Sebring in 1915 just three years after the town's founding.
Weigle would continue to maintain a residence in the community until 1963, and is believed to have written his most famous hymn, "No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus," at his Sebring home in 1932.
He was also actively involved with the development of the music program at Tennessee Temple University, where the college's music building was named in his honor.
Weigle died in Chattanooga in 1966, and is interred in Sebring's Pinecrest Cemetery alongside his wife Carrie.
Dr. Weigle built this historic house on Lake Jackson in 1922 on a lot that stood immediately adjacent to the home of the town's founder, George Sebring.
The 1920s was a period of great expansion for the community, and saw the creation of numerous homes and other buildings in the Spanish-inspired Mediterranean style. The Weigle House presents an interesting hybrid of this fashion with the earlier Bungalow style of Sebring's oldest homes and unique u-shaped floorplan.
Numerous windows in the Florida room and back porch allowed for sweeping viewsof the home's lakeside location. Dormer windows and window-boxes of flowers added a distinctly homey touch, though these were later removed.
After many years as a private residence and the home of the Highlands Art League, the Sebring Historical Society took up the lease to preserve the building for future generations and provide a home for its museum collection.
The Historical Society's museum collection tells the story of the people like Gracie McCoy and her history and the culture of Sebring and Highlands County through an array of exciting and interesting exhibits.
Special displays highlight Highlands Hammock State Park and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the WWII army air force training center at Hendricks Field, and the internationally renowned 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race which has been held annuallysince 1952.
In addition, although the house of town founder George Sebring is no longer standing, a room in the museum also displays Sebring family pictures and artifacts that celebrate the special friendship between the Sebring and Weigle families.
Finally, the Weigle House also houses a small gift shop with postcards, books, and memorabilia related to the city of Sebring and the history of the state of Florida.